Rotatable airship-shed.



C. DORNIER.

ROTATABLE AIRSHIP SHED.

APPL|cAT|oN man sEPr.24.191s.

1,241,720. Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. DOHNIER.

ROTATABLE AIRSHIP SHED.

APPLICATION msn 55m24.191s.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

4 SHEETa-SHEET 2.

C. DORNIER.

ROTATABL; Amsmp SHED. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24| |913. L2-41,720. Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

C. DORNIER.

ROTATABLE AIRSHIP SHED.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.24. Isla.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- CLAUDE DORNIER, OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE FIRM 0F LUFTSCHIFFBAU ZEPPELIN G. M. B. H., OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY.

ROTATABLE AIRSHIP-SHED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application tiled September 24, 1913. Serial No. 791,528.

To all Iwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE DoRNiEn, a subject of the King of Wurttemberg, residing at 3 Neugartenstrasse, Friedrichs hafen, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rot-atable Airshipheds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, of which the fol.- lowing is a specification.

The subject matter of my invention is a rotatable airship shed7 which is open below and is constructed on the Outrigger prin# ciple.

When airship sheds are stationary, airships can be safely conveyed into and out of the same only when the direction of the wind differs but little from the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shed. It has been attempted heretofore to obviate this defect by placing the sheds on wheels. It

has been found, however, that such rotary' sheds are exceedingly heavy and expensive. In addition, owing to their great weight they are very hard to turn, so that the advantage of sluability under certain circumstances becomes illusory.

A primary object of this invention is materially to reduce the weight of rotatable airship sheds and their salvage apparatus and to obviate various other disadvantages attached to rotatable sheds known heretofore.

To these ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

One illustrative embodiment of the invention is represented by way of example in thel accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 isa vertical section taken on the line af-a, l

Fig. 2 is a like section taken on the line c-0, and

Fig. 3 is a like sect-ion taken on the line b-b in Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and

Fig; 5 is a top plan View showing ashed according to the invention; in Fig. 5 the left hand part shows the upper Wind bracing, while the right hand part is a horizontal section taken below the roof.

The first essential feature of the invention is a rotatable central or tower portion cl formed as a rigid frame whose arrangement will be understood from Figs. 2, 4 and 5 in which 1 are the main posts, 2 the intermediate posts and 3 and 4 the web members or braces connecting the posts together. It will be noted that the posts l, which take the compressive strains are not heavy single rolled elements, but aie built u p of structural iron of any desired rolled light shapes. These posts, more clearly shown in Fig. 2, are composed of suitable members 10, 11, 12', 13 and 14 assembled in the nature of a latticed structure. The tower structure l is but slightly` higher than the extensions and the roof trusses, 15. The tower posts 1 bound main panels and are connected together to form these panels by the web members 2, 3 and 4, an upper chord 17 and a lower chord member 16a.

The side walls of the building are attached to the tower l as cantaliver beams fixed at one end to the side walls of the tower. These beams, or in reality, trusses, are composed of posts 5, top chords 17, lower chords, 16, whose extensions 17a and 16 form similar chords in the tower, and web members 7 and 8, there being intermediate posts 6 similar to those 2 of the tower. The posts 5 extend above the upper chord of the trusses, as do also the posts 1 of the tower structure. The posts 5 are built up in a manner similar to posts 1, of a main upright 5 braced by the members 18, 19, 2() and 21, arranged in the form of a well known type of bow-string truss` The side beams or trusses, and, in addition, may be relieved by ties 22, proceeding from the highest part of the rotatable tower and connected to the panel points 21. The roof trusses 15 are supported at their ends at the panel points of the side wall beams or trusses. These trusses have their peaks connected by tension members 23, preferably extending in line with the upper chords of the roof trusses, to the upper ends of the posts 1 "and 5 and to the intermediate posts 2 and 6. The upper ends` of all posts projecting above the roof are cross connected by members 24. This arrangement enables all the vertical loads to be transmitted to the foundations relatively near the center of rotationy through the rotation roller path e. The shed can consequently be slued more vconstruction carrying the ioor.

must have a certain elevation.

quently, ,a very undesirable difference ofle-vel'between the ground and the ioorof the shed results or, in the event of a sunken constructionbeing employed, the cost of building is v.materially increased owlng to Athe large quantities of earth whichhave to be moved. These `defects are obviated owing to the floor being done away with; in

addition, the cost of manufacture is very materially reduced.

As shown in Figs. '2 and 5, for transmitting horizontal forces to the king journal f the rotary tower d is provided with a sunken construction g whichis covered over in so faras the same-must bel Walked over with a floor 25. In addition, members h for. connecting the sets of wheels i are arranged below between the free ends of the walls. These connections, however, can be placed so lowthat they constitute no obstruction at all. Under certain circumstances, these connections andthe intermediate construction in the rotary tower can .be omitted.

The forces 'of the windy are transmitted in the plane of the'top flange .or chord of the beams constituting the walls through bracing fm, whichextends the entire breadth of the building and is indicated in the lefthand half of Fig. 5.- In addition to the wind bracing m of the roof panels, thev side walls of the tower portion are provided with .the diagonal web-members 3, and the overhanging or cantaliver portion is pro"- Vvided with the diagonal members 7 acting i v as wind bracings vfor these portions. Horizontal forces are transmitted in the plane of the bottom flange of the walls by the outside struts c which is fastened to the side of the tower and whose outside ends are supported on the sets of wheels z'. Braking devices at these sets of wheels admit of horizontal reactions being taken up.

The described construction can be employed for sheds which are used for constantly Vcontaining airships, and also for harboring airships in radially arranged stationary sheds. For thelatter caseit is provided, in addition, that the covering of the walls and roof, which may consist of canvas, can be ree-fed after the shed has been used. Since, in general, airships do not travel when the wind has a velocity exceeding 16 meters per second the height regulation assumptions of load of 150 kilograms per square meter for wind and the snow load of 7 5 kilograms per square meter have to be taken into account only for the uncovered surfaces of the iron framework, `so that a material saving of expense is obtained.

I In addition, when the ship is moved into or out of the shed and beforethe shed is swung to the wind, bracing me bers 1 or guys at the ends of the shed ai'/fiamoved to permit the ship to enter and l ve the shed. The guys cause the construction to be relieyed and sti'en it when in place.

In order to relieve the towerwhen the shed is inl its normal position of rest solid foundations may be provided'forl the .side

`walls in a direction corresponding to the po- 'sltion of rest, said foundations being so arwhen the rollers run up the same the side walls are lifted somewhat in order effectively to relieve the king journal or supporting rollers of the tower. A firm floor may be provided between Jthese foundations.

I claim:

1. An airship shed comprising in combination a rotatable tower having a central through passage, and" beams constituting side walls of the shed suspended from the tower by vbeing fixed at one end thereto.

2.v An airship shed comprising in combination a rotatable tower having'a central through passage, and walls fixed at one end to and carried by the tower, anda roof carried by the walls, the chamber bounded by the walls and roof being open below.

3. An airship shed comprising in combination a rotatable tower having a central through passage, and beams constituting side walls of the shed suspended from the tower by being fixed at one end thereto, and

ties connecting the walls with the top portion of the tower.

4. An airship shed comprising in combination a rotatable tower, and beams coni stituting side walls of the shed suspended from the tower being xed at one end thereopen below7 and wind bracing attached to the tower and extending between the top of the walls and to the bottom of the walls.

(3. An airship shed eomprising:r in eombination a rotatable tower havint;r an unob- ;-=t. ueted central chamber, and beams constitutint- .side walls ofthe shed suspended from the tower by being fixed at one end thereto and`lorming a continuation of the tower ehamher, a rotation roller path, wheels earrying the tower and moyahle on the roller path, and wind bracingl attached to the tower and supported by said walls.

T. An air-ship shed comprisingl in eombination. a tower strueture haring a clear passage therethrough, means to rotatably mount the tower. parallel eantaliyer lattieed beams supported by the tower and projecting: in opposite directions from the tower and formingthe side walls ot' the shed `and between them a ehamber continuous with said passage, a rootstrut-ture carried by said beams and removable crossed guy members eonneeting the lree eantaliyer ends.

s. An airship shed (comprising in combination a rotatable tower haring an unobstrueted eentral chamber, walls tixed at one end to and carried by the tower, and a root earried by the. walls, the ehamber houndeil by the walls and root being open below and formingn a eontinu'ttion ol' the tower chamber. and rfadily detaehable guy members nortnally eonnevting the ends of the walls remote from tl.\l tower. l'or the purpose speeilied.

il. .\n airship shed eomprsing in eombiuation a rotatable tower, and beams eonstituting side walls ol the shed suspended Yl'rom the tower by beine' lixetl at one end thereto. in combination with foundations adapted to support the bottom llanges ot' the side walls in the normal position ol rest of the shed.

1t). An airship shed eomprisinjfl in cottibinatiou a rotatable tower, and beams eonstituting side walls of the shed suspended from the tower by being lixed at one end thereto` in eombinatiou with two l'ountlations l`or supporting the bottom Hanges of the side walls in the normal position of rest ot' the Ished. and a tloor constructed between said foundations.

ln testimony whereof l hare signed my name to this speeitieation. in tlte presence oll two subseribin r witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

